FORMER SERBIAN CAMP DETAINEES TESTIFIED AGAINST KEMAL MRNDŽIĆ IN BOSTON, EXPECTING HIM TO RECEIVE DESERVED PUNISHMENT

EAST SARAJEVO, OCTOBER 21 /SRNA/ - Former camp detainee Slobodan Mrkajić from Bradina, who endured hardships in the Tarčin and Čelebići camps during the war in BiH, told SRNA after testifying in court in Boston that he expects a deserved sentence for Kemal Mrndžić for war crimes against Serbs and for falsely representing himself when entering the United States to be announced soon.

Mrkajić emphasized that Mrndžić is charged with five out of the seven counts of the indictment, something that did not even occur in the Hague Tribunal and that he is currently in detention. He recounted that Serbian detainees recognized Mrndžić and confirmed that he participated in their beatings and torture. Mrkajić has said that Mrndžić appeared daily at the Čelebići prison and took part in the torture of Serbs. "He met me in the gauntlet, but I didn't know anyone in Konjic then. He was recognized by Serbs from Konjic and the surrounding area who went to school or worked with him. At the time, he was very young and thin. While we were running the gauntlet, I saw him dragging people by their legs into the hangar," said Mrkajić. He has said that around 200 Serbs were detained there, and from time to time, Mrndžić would call them out, take them outside, and beat them. "My brother and father were there. The detainees were forced to do push-ups while he beat them, or he would beat them while they sat with their hands behind their necks. He stood out, having a powerful kick with his left leg, especially targeting the ribs and neck. As a result of those kicks, I had seven ribs broken," Mrkajić recounted. In Boston, nine witnesses, all former detainees, testified against Mrndžić. "Our journey was long and arduous. We have been working on this for almost two years. By chance, we managed to recognize him, and this was reported to the American police, who got involved in the investigation and discovered that his identity was false," Mrkajić said. He did not want to confirm the claims that Mrndžić, using a false name, fabricated story, and forged documents, was accepted as a Serbian refugee in America in 1999. However, he noted that his entry was sufficient grounds for an investigation. Mrkajić has said that American investigators visited BiH, where they obtained documents that were not accessible to the detainees, as well as a videotape, which was enough to continue the investigation. "They asked Mrndžić whether he participated in the war, which he denied, and later he said that he only provided security at the Čelebići camp and that he hadn't seen any detainees. This became another piece of evidence of his false representation when entering the USA," Mrkajić said. Mrkajić, who was held in seven camps over 32 months, describes himself as one of the major victims of the torture inflicted on Serbian detainees. "As a result of Mrndžić's torture, I left the camp as an 80 percent disabled person, and now I am 100 percent disabled," Mrkajić emphasized.